Crossing signal



Sept. 11, 1928.

J. A. MORRISON CROSS ING S IGNAL original Filed veci-4, 1926 "milllll mum Saggi@ l" Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES resaca) PATENT OFFICE.`

JOHN A. MORRISON, OF` SEATTLE, WASHINGTON,i.ASSiIGrIVhT0B.` TO SAFETY SIGNAL COM- i PANY, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

cRossING SIGNAL.

Original application led December 4, 1526, Serial No. i 1927. Serial i This invention relates to railway lcrossing signals. The present application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 152,622, tiled on the 4th day of Deccanber, 1926, and is intended to cover novel means for causing a signal to be throwninto operation by an approaching train, irrespective lof the particular type of signal employed.

In order that the relationship of the wiringof the con-trol mechanism, and the signal, may be clearly understood, Iihave illustrated, in the diagrammatic. figure shown in the accompanying drawing, the signalling mechanism of my parent applr cation, associated with the control device of the present application.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the signal mechanism comprises a motor 11, a siren whistle 12, andl illuminating elements 13. -Tlie numeral 14' generally designates lthe armature shaft of the motor which is extended at one end to provide a" drive for a blower 15 for operating the siren Whistle and at its opposite end to provide a mounting for the governor mechanism', generally .indicated at 16.

A shaft 4 is driven by conventional worm gearing, indicated at 17, from shaft 14, and upon said shatt'4 is mounted a pair. of in- .sulating disks 2O and 21, eachhaving an arcuate contact 22. Associated with the ,disk 20are brushes 23 land 24, one of which is connected to one terminal of the motor by .a wire 25 and the other of which is connected to a vfeed wire I26 by a wire 27. With the ,disk 21 a feedbrush 28 and a pair of discharge brushes 29 are associated; The feed brush 26 .electrically connected with the wire 26 while the discharge brushes 29'are connected by wires 30 with the illuminating elements 13.

The governor mechanism provides means for shifting the conductor disk 31, withl which brushes 35 and 37 coact, the brushv v35 being connected with the same terminal ot the motor as the brush 23 by a wire 36, While the brush 37 is electrically connected with the wire 26. A second feed wire 38 is connected with the second terminal of the motor and 152,622. Divided and this appiicatioa ined July 23, No. 207,948.

with the second terminals of the illuminating A gized, causing, rotation of the armature shaft "14. tact 22 does not connect the brushes 23 and 24, the speed of the motor will be slow, due

lto the fact that any increase in speed will cause separation of the disk 31 from the Y brushes 35 and 37. By the operation of the motor, air is forced from the fan 15 to the siren whistle 12, causing its operation at a relatively low pitch. At the same time,

It', at this time, the arcuate con` the shaft 14 is rotated, with the result that i the disk 20 will bring its Contact 22 into enmay speed up and cause a variation in the pitch produced by the siren whistle. This rotation of the shaft 14 will also bring the contact 22 of the disk 21 into engagement with the feed brush 28 and discharge brushes 29, causing the illuminating elements 13 to be energized for a short period.

The control mechanism' constituting the novel subject matter oi the present application comprises adjacent track sections, 40 and 41, 42 and'43, and 44 and 45, corresponding railsv of the sections being insulated from one another, as at 46. AA suitable source off energy, generally designated at "47,: has one terminal thereof electrically connected with 4the rail section 43 by a wire 48. `This terminal is also connected with contacts 49, 50 and .51 associated with the rail sections 41, and 45. The rail section 42 is connected with the wire 26 andthe rail sections 40, 4 2V and 44 have associated therewith contacts-49a,

50a and 511V corresponding and complementary to the contacts 49, 50 and 51. Thesecond terminal of the source of current is elec with the contact 50a.

net 53, is electrically connected,las at 56, i'

vpair ot the pairs of v'contacts 49, 49:L or 5l,

51a. Assuming the contacts 49, 49n are electrically connected, a circuit is established as follows: Through the wire 48 and contact 49v tlnough contact 49" and wire 55 to one terminal ot the electro-magnet 52, and trein the second terminal of the electromagnet 52 to the battery through the wire G2. The armature 57 ot the electro-magnet 52 is thus attracted, swinging the bell crank lever 5S to the position shown in dotted lines and permitting the switch blade G0 to engage with the contact 54. This completes the connections between the lead wire 38 and the battery and since the connections between the wire 26 and the battery are open only by the spacing of the rail sections 42, 44, when the train engages these rail sections and electrically connects the same, the circuit to the signal will be completed. As the train moves over the sections 42 and 43, it closes the connection between the contact and 50, thus completing a circuit from the battery through the wire 48, contact 50. the train, contact 50a, wire 56 to one terminal or the electro-magnet 53 and from the second contact of the electro-magnet to the battery through the wire G2. The armature 6l of the electro-magnet is thereby attracted, elevating the switch blade G0 so that itis engaged with the latch notch 59 and held in its elevated position, the circuit vtothe electro-magnet 52 having been broken at this time. As the train continues during its passage over the rail sections 44, 45, it completes the circuit between the contacts 5l, 51, completing the circuit to the electro-*magnet 52, as above described and again tripping the -Y latch to permit the blade G0 to come into contact with the contact 54. Since, however,

the train has left the rail sections 42, 43, the signal remains inoperative. A second train entering the signalarea will initially cause energization of the electromagnet 52,

but this operation will be .ineffectual as the struction hereinbetore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention and I accordingly do not limit myseltl to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

- I-Iaving thus described my invention, what 11 I claim is:

l. In combination with an electrically operated signal ttor railway crossings, a rightot-way including a section in which the rails are insulated from the remainder of the right-ot-way and from one another, a nor* mally closed switch, a source of E. M. F., a circuit including said rails, the switch, the source of E. M. F. and the signal, a train controlled latch for maintaining the switch in open position and controlled by a train to release the switch prior to entering and after leaving said section and train operated means controlled by the train while in said section for moving the switch to a position where it is engaged by said latch. Y

2. In combination with an electrically operated signal tor railway crossings, a rightot-way including a section in which the rails are insulated from the remainder of the right-otway and from one another, a normally closed switch, a source of E. M. F., a circuit including said rails, the switch, the source of E. M. F. and the signal, a train controlled latch including an electro-magnet and a bell crank lever actuated thereby for maintaining the switch in open position and controlled by a train to release the switchy prior to entering and after leaving said section and train controlled means including an electro-magnet controlled by the train while in said section for moving the switch to a position where it is engaged by said latch.

In testimony whereof he aiiixes signature.

JOHN A. MORRISON. 

